"A Thing of Beauty ..."

"... Is a Joy Forever."

This is for my dear friend, Hunter. She brought us delectable tiny cupcakes today on this plate. This was painted by her best friend, Margaret. This is a thing of beauty, isn't it?

Seeing my two strapping teenage boys work outside to help their grandparents, is also a thing of beauty to me. I should note that Philip isn't actually a "teen" any longer. When you get a little older, and your body no longer does all the things so easily that it did when you were twenty, you do view the agility and speed of the younger set, as a beautiful thing.

My daddy on his "tin horse":

The mountains are always beautiful. If you've tired of my photos of them, that's fine, but perhaps some of you would like a few more. The mist began rolling in this afternoon, as it sometimes does. A drizzle came down, and a cool breeze wafted in the windows.  What a treat, in July!

The mist thickened.

Then only a few mountain tips showed.

Toward sunset, the mist settled into a thick fog, which sank into the valleys.

The combination of colors and textures in these scenes is constantly shifting, while the mountains seem resolute and unchanging .

Other things of beauty today? Singing a four-part arrangement of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" with my children. Is there a greater joy than singing beautiful music with one's children? I don't know of it, if there is! My mother and I talked of some elegant, thin, antique crystal glasses that she gave me a while back. She wanted me to know that, if I wanted or needed to, I was free to sell them. I can't imagine doing so, although it was sweet of her to say it. They are so beautiful. I would have to be hungry indeed to part with the opportunity of just looking at them. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" -- my mother taught me this simple truth when I was young, and I believe that truly beautiful things are worth having, just to look at, because beauty is of intrinsic value. It's not always possible, or practical to have antique crystal, or beautiful voices, or mountain ranges. But when it is, beholding beauty is an activity that all of us should embrace, and find joy in.